1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heddle frames and more particularly to improvements in the heddle supporting rods used in such frames.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common in the weaving art to employ heddle frames having rods on which the heddles are mounted. These rods have usually been made of steel strips which are mounted in the frame and on which the heddles are freely movable. One illustration of such rods is in the U.S. patent to C. F. Kramer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,417,788.
The vertical movement of the heddle frames in shedding and the inertia effect of the heddles at the ends of each cyclic movement results in impact stresses in the heddles and on the heddle rods with resultant noise and wear, particularly at the contact points of the end eyes of the heddles and the heddle rods.
The horizontal movement of the heddles on the heddle rods also has an abrasive effect with attendant wear on the end eyes and the heddle rods.
Various solutions have been proposed to reduce wear as shown in the U.S. patent to Heller, U.S. Pat. No. 754,577 but the noise and wear are still present.
While my prior patent application discloses one approach to solving the heddle rod noise and wear problem it is not suitable for many variations of heddles and heddle supporting rods.